Long plagued by Aden, a relentless bully, Mason is so taken aback when the older boy suddenly retrieves a drawing that Mason has made for his father (it has blown onto dangerously thin ice) that he doesn't even thank him. Mason's father is a wise, kind man who has explained to Mason that Aden's character is a response to his own abusive father; Aden's single generous act is motivated by his observation that Mason's father is ``real gentle with [horses]. Didn't beat `em or anything.'' Before Mason can follow up his new insights, Aden goes off to WWI. News of his death and of the Armistice arrive together, leaving Mason to make peace with himself by taking a more charitable attitude toward Ira, his little brother. It's unusual for an author to follow an ordinary beginning with such a strong conclusion. The circumstances here—the bullied boy passing on the contempt he endures, the conscientiously described period details of farm life in Vermont, are clearly presented but predictable. Still, they serve their purpose well, setting the scene for the dramatic incident on the ice, Mason's subsequent confusion and grief, a touching encounter with Aden's mother, and his eventual reconciliation with little Ira. A fine early chapter book by the author of The Canada Geese Quilt (1989). Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7-11)*justify no*
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-525-65074-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Dutton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1991
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.
Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán.
When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana, Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios, but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturaswhile letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa—the mother tongue.
Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay. (Fiction. 9-11)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-375-80215-0
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trickling, bubbling, swirling, rushing, a river flows down from its mountain beginnings, past peaceful country and bustling city on its way to the sea. Hooper (The Drop in My Drink, 1998, etc.) artfully evokes the water’s changing character as it transforms from “milky-cold / rattling-bold” to a wide, slow “sliding past mudflats / looping through marshes” to the end of its journey. Willey, best known for illustrating Geraldine McCaughrean’s spectacular folk-tale collections, contributes finely detailed scenes crafted in shimmering, intricate blues and greens, capturing mountain’s chill, the bucolic serenity of passing pastures, and a sense of mystery in the water’s shadowy depths. Though Hooper refers to “the cans and cartons / and bits of old wood” being swept along, there’s no direct conservation agenda here (for that, see Debby Atwell’s River, 1999), just appreciation for the river’s beauty and being. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: June 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-7636-0792-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
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